Rocker arm



Enne E@ 1924. l 1,497,451

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Patented .ame io, 1924. 1

ED STATES JOHN F. KYTLICA, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

R0 CKER ARM.

Application led .August 29,1923. Serial No. 659,929.

rocker arms in general, but has particular relation to that type of such arms employed in the operating mechanism for theintake and exhaust valves of engines, which, while being shown in the accompanying drawing in connection with a portion of an engine (preferably of the internal combustionr type), and valve operating mechanism thereof, and will be hereinafter so referred to, yet it is applicable for use for other valves and other purposes without'departure from the spirit of the invention,and for this rea-` son I wish it to be understood the invention is not limited in its application to any specific use or purpose, or to the exact location, construction and arrangement of its parts as shown and described, except, wherey so specified in the claims hereto appended.

The principal object of the invention is, the provision of a rocker arm of the above mentioned general character, which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable and highly efficient in operation, with its parts so made, arranged andk 3o-operating with one another, as well as with the operating-rod of the valve to be actuated, in such a manner, that said operating-rod will be caused to be moved longitudinally or reciprocated in an absolutely straight, and usually vertical line, to the end, that any and all lateral or wobbling movement of said rod will be prevented, thereby obviating wear of the rod and its guide, incident to the movement of the said rod through its guide, which wear takes place in the old style or commonly used type of devices for operating valves and permits the passage of air through the guide for the rod controlling the intake valve, to commingle with and deleteriously affect the explosive mixture used in the engine.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for yieldingly, automatically and accurately holdingy co-operating parts of the' device in their proper operative positions and against accidental disarrangement. y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and explanation, which will be more readily understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which an embodiment of which the invention is susceptible is illustrated, it being-l understood that changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from ,the'spirit of the invention, so long as theycome within the scope of the appended claims forming a part hereof.

The invention consists in certain peculiarities 0f the construction, novel arrangement and combination of the parts thereof as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

Referring to the drawing, f Fig.` '1 vis aside view partly in section of a rocker arm constructed according to my invention, showing it mounted kon afragment of the upper portion of an engine.

Fig. 2 is a view partlyr in elevation and partly in vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l looking in the direction indicated bythe arrows, and

Fig. 3 vis a diagrammatical view showing the principle of the operation of the device or various positions assumed by one of the bearing members with respect to the other bearing member in the operation of the device.

,Corresponding numerals of reference refer to like parts throughout the different views vof the drawing.

The referencel numeral 5 designates the supporting Vbase for the rocker arm, which as shown in Figs. l and 2 is secured by meansof bolts 6 and nuts 7 to the upper portion of an engine 8, which engine may be of any well known type having tlieintake and exhaust valves thereof located on its oppositef sides.

The supporting base 5 has an upright portion 9 from each side of the upper portion of which is horizontally extended a crosssectionally curved or upwardly arched supporting member l0 on which one of the rocker .arms 1l is mounted for oscillation. As the arms 11 and their supporting meinbers are of the same construction, a description of one of each ofthem will be sufficient for a clear understanding of the device.

As shown in Figs. l and 2, the rocker arm l1 has at one of its ends an arcuate or downwardly curved shoe 12 and at its other end an enlargement 13 which is provided in its lower surface with a socket 14 for the reception and operation of the upper end of one of the rods 15 of the valve operating mechanism, which rod extends upwardly from the cam shaft and is reciprocated thereby in the well known way. Impinging at its upper end against the arcuate or downwardly curved shoe 12 is an operating rod 16 for either the intake valve or exhaust valve of the engine, which rod is mounted for reciprocation in a tubular guide v17 communicating with the valve casing, not shown. The arm11 is provided midway between its ends with a vertical opening 18 formed in a vertical enlargement 19 of saidarm, which openingregisters at its upper end with the lower end of a vertical and laterally enlarged opening20, (see Figs. 1 and 2) extended through the armsupporting member 10, and is for the reception and retention` of a rod 21 which has on its lower end a head 22 to contact with the lower edge of the arm 11 or rather with the lower end of the enlargement 19-of said arm. As shown, the rod 21 is extended a considerable distance above the upper surface of the member 10 and has its upper portion screw-threaded. The arm supporting member 1() has in its upper surface on opposite sides of the opening 2O in said member a longitudinally disposed recess 23,' which recesses are by preference cross-sectionally segmental in shape and are for the reception and operation of downwardly extended projections 24 which are located on the lower surface of an apertured keeper 25 for the rocker arm, which keeper surrounds the rod 21 and as shown is mounted with its projections 24 in the recesses 28 in the upper surface of the member 10. The projections 24 of the keeper 25 are a little short ofthe length of said recesses, so that they may lit snugly insaid recesses yet in such a way as to prevent movement of the keeper in the direction of the length ofits projections. By this arrangement it is manifest that bearings for the keeper 25 having small area, kwill be provided.y Surrounding the rod 21 and resting at one of its ends on the upper surface of the keeper 254 is a coil spring 26, the other end of which rests against the lower surface of a washer or collar 27 loosely mounted on the upper portion of said rod and adjustably held in place by means offa nut 28 employed for adjustingthe tension of said spring. On each of its sides and at about kthe middle of the upper portion thereof, the arm 11 is provided with a laterally and horizontally disposed arcuate-or upwardlv arched bearing member 29, each of which has on its upper surface one or more upwardly extended gear teeth 30 to mesh with gear teeth 31 on the lower surface ofthe supporting member 10, for the purposeof holding saidmembers in such a way thatthe members 29 may oscillate on the lower surface of the member 10 without danger of slipping or becoming accidentally disarranged with respect to one another.

As shown in Fig. 1, and as above recited, each of the members 10 and 29, is preferably cross-sectionally curved or upwardly arched, but it will be understood that it is not essential that they shall be bodily so shaped, but it is important that their adjacent surfaces shall be so shaped or constructed, and it is also important that the upper surfaces of the members 29, shall each be in an are of a circle one half of the circumfer ence of which shall equal one fourth of the circumference of the circle comprising the arc of the lower surface of the member 10, or in other words, the diameter of the circle including the arc of the upper surface of the members 29, shall equal one half of the diameter 0f the circle comprising the arc of the lower surface of the member 10, as will be readily understood by reference to the diagrammatical view shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, in which the principle of the operation of the device is illustrated in andenlarged scale.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawing, it will be readily understood and clearly seen that by my improvements and when the parts of the mechanism are assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rocker arm designated as a whole by the numeral 11, will be resiliently held through the instrumentality of the rod 21, keeper 25, spring 26, and washer 27, so that the up-y wardly arched bearing members 29 of the arm will be in constant contact with the upwardly arched supporting member 10 for said arm, and when the gear teeth 30 and 31 are employed against accidental disarrangement, yet in such a manner that the arm 11 may be oscillated with respect to the supporting member 10 and that by reason of the novel and peculiar construction of the adjacent surfaces of the members 10 and 29, movement in an absolutely straight line will be imparted to the rod 16, which may be used for operating an intake or exhaust valve of the engine or any other suitable valve or device.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a supporting member, of a rocker arm provided with a laterally extended bearing member for oscillatory cooperation with one of the surfaces of said supporting' member, the adjacent surfaces of said members being arcuate in the same direction but of different degrees, and means co-operating with said members for holding them in contact with one another.

2.V In a device of the class described, the combination withV a horizontally disposed llO supporting member, of a rocker arm provided With a laterally extended bearing member for oscillatory co-operation with on@j of the surfaces of said supporting member, the adjacent surfaces of said members being arcuate in the same direction but of different degrees, and resilient means cooperating With said members for holding them in contact With one another for oscillatory movement of said bearing member with respect to said supporting member.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a horizontally disposed supporting member, of a rocker arm provided With a laterally extended and horizontally disposed bearing member for oscillatory co-operation With one of the surfaces of said supporting member, the adjacent surfaces of said members being arcuate in the sameV direction but of different degrees, inter-engaging means on the adjacent surfaces of said members, and resilient means co-operating With said members for holding them in contact with one another for oscillatory movement of the bearing member With respect to the said supporting member.

fl. In a device of the class described, the combination With a supporting member, of a rocker arm provided With a laterally extended bearing member for oscillatory co-operation with one of the surfaces of said supporting member, the adjacent surfaces of said members being arcuate in the same direction but the arcuation .of the surface of the said supporting member adjacent said bearing member being greater than the arcuation of the surface of the bearing member adjacent the supporting member, and means co-operating With said members for holding themy in contact with one another for the oscillatory movement of the said bearing member.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination With a supporting member, of a rocker arm provided with a laterally exnded bearing member for oscillatory cooperation with one of the surfaces of the said supporting member, the adjacent surfaces of said members being arcuate in the same direction but the arcuation of the surface of the said supporting member adjacent said bearing member being greater than the arcuation of the surface of the bearing member adjacent the supporting member, inter-engaging means on the adjacent surfaces of said members, and means co-operating with said members for holding them in contact with one another for the oscillatory movement of said bearing member with respect to said supporting member.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination With a horizontally disposed supporting member having an opening therethrough, of a rocker arm having an opening to co-incide With the opening of said supporting member and a laterally extended bearing member for oscillatory cooperation with one of the surfaces of said supporting member, the adjacent surfaces of said members being arcuate in the same direction 'but of differentk degrees, and a spring actuated rod extended through said openings for holding said members in contact with one another for oscillatory movement of said bearing member.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a supporting member having an opening therethrough and on each side of said opening a recess extended longitudinally with respect to said member, of a rocker arm having an opening to co-incide with the opening of said supporting member and provided with a laterally extended bearing member on each of its sides for oscillatory co-operation with one of the surfaces of said supporting member, the adjacent surfaces of said members being arcuate in the same direction but of different degrees, a rod extended through said opening and having a head on one of its ends to contact With the rocker arm, an apertured keeper mounted on the rod adjacent the recessed surface of said supporting member and having a downwardly extended projection on each side of its aperture to fit in said recesses, a spring surrounding the rod and resting at one of its ends against said keeper, a Washer movably mounted on said rod, and means adjustably engaging the rod and adapted for co-action With theu said washer for adjusting the tension of said sprinfr.

S. In a deviceof the class described, the combination With a supporting member having an opening therethrough, of a rocker arm having an opening to co-incide with the opening of said supporting member and provided with a laterally extended bearing member for oscillatory co-operation with one of the surfaces of said supporting member, the adjacent surfaces of said members being arcuate in the same direction but of different degrees, a rod extended through said openings and having a head to rest against one of said members, a spring surrounding said rod and exerting pressure at one of its ends against the member opposite the head of said rod, a Washer movable on said rod at the other end of said spring, and adjustable means engaging said rod and coacting with said Washer for adjusting the tension of said spring.

JCHN F. KYTLICA. 

